A Time To Build Up

"They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the former devastations; they will renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations."
                                                            Isaiah 61:4




Sometimes life can be so busy and hectic that we forget about the fact that there is a larger plan in play than what we see. Each day, as we accomplish the tasks set before us and fulfill the requirements and demands in our lives, it can be so easy and tempting to focus only on what we can physically see in the natural. And yet, there is a Master plan that is completing its' perfect work in our lives, as well as in the entire earth.

Just as there are times and seasons in the natural, so are there in the supernatural realm. What is so interesting about this is that often what God is declaring spiritually looks completely opposite from the battle at hand. For example, when God called Peter to spread the Good News of the Gospel, Herod decided to retaliate against the disciples by killing James and arresting Peter.

As Peter was bound in chains and scheduled for trial, it had to have appeared to him that God's plans were being completely thwarted. It must have appeared that evil was advancing and that good was also being tethered, without any hope of moving forward. It would have been interesting to know what thoughts Peter may have had that night, but peace prevailed in his heart, at least enough for him to fall asleep lying between two prison guards.

It was in this exact moment that an angel appeared and lit up the entire jail cell. The angel hit Peter on the side to awaken him and he said, "'Quick, get up!' And the chains fell off his wrists. 'Get dressed,' the angel told him, 'and put on your sandals'. And he did. 'Wrap your cloak around you,' he told him, 'and follow me.' So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what the angel did was really happening, but he thought he was seeing a vision. After they passed through the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and suddenly the angel left him" (Acts 12:7-10).

This experience was so surreal to Peter that at first he wasn't even sure that it was really happening. When he realized what had just occurred, he understood that God had delivered him from Herod's grasp and that He had done so in such a way that the Jewish people would see God's glory and power. So, instead of the spread of the Gospel being hindered, it actually advanced exponentially because it was God's timing for it to do so.

Sometimes God will allow evil to advance for a period of time, but it is always constrained within God's perfect timetable. This is because God has a kingdom calendar that is more reliable than any smartphone in existence today. Solomon referred to God's timetable when he said that there is "a time for every activity under heaven: a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak ; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

We are currently living in a time today where God is building up and restoring His church. He is healing and birthing and planting and turning our sorrows into joys. We are gathering our stones of remembrance and finding our voices in Christ. We are learning to love our enemies and become peacemakers in the midst of the cultural wars in which we find ourselves.

God has promised us that He will rebuild the ruins and the devastations that have occurred generationally in our families and He may even do it in such a way that other believers will see and be strengthened, as well. God is so good and He is the Only One who can perform such amazing miracles as these. He is the Only One who can take our ashes and turn them into a glorious masterpiece that He has planned long ago and then implemented.

When we learn to trust Him while in the darkest cell, we will see Him illumined like never before. Our cell will light up and our chains will fall off and we will sing His praises evermore. Never again will we struggle under the weight and debt of our sin because He has purposed that we will be free and we will rejoice in His goodness.

Solomon went on to say that, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the heart of man and no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end"  (Ecclesiastes 3:11). God crafted His plans long before any of us were created and He will carry them all out to fruition. His kingdom calendar is set and we have so many good things in Him to look forward to.

One day, each of us will see our stories in their fullness and we will weep over the faithfulness and goodness of our God. In the interim, we can trust His heart and that He will provide for every need that we may have. His goal is to bring as many as is possible into His eternal kingdom and we are blessed and privileged to have a role in this plan.

He loves every person on this planet immeasurably, and He weeps for those who do not know Him and belong to Him. His heart is so holy and pure and He longs to gather each and every person into His fold. He is the best Father that has ever existed and He sees the potential in each and every one of us. He not only loves and sees us as we are, but He also loves and sees us as we were created to be.

Now is the time to allow The Holy Spirit to complete its' perfect work within our hearts and souls so that we will be strengthened and suited up for the battles that lie before us. We will see God move in unprecedented ways for His glory and the extension of His kingdom. We all have a part to play and no one's part is inconsequential or unimportant. Christ is the head and we are all the parts that move in synchrony with Him.

God is doing something amazing within our generation and we are truly blessed. Oh, we could focus on the negative and become discouraged. Or, we can focus on Jesus and what He is doing in our midst. If we choose to keep our eyes on Him and focus on His goodness, we will be built up and able to participate in the end-time army that God is preparing to release within the earth. His plans are good and truly we will be amazed and see the fulfillment of the restoration of all things!


"Heaven must receive Him until the time of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about through His holy prophets from the beginning."
                                                             Acts 3:21